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Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Toxic Waste Leaves City After 40 Years

Bhopal Gas Tragedy: Toxic Waste Leaves City After 40 Years

02-01-2025
  1. On the night of January 1, 2025, 12 trucks carrying 337 tonnes of toxic waste left the Union Carbide factory site in Bhopal after being stored there for 40 years.
  2. This waste is a remnant of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy, one of the world's worst industrial disasters.
  3. The waste, packed and loaded starting December 28, 2024, was moved under tight security.
  4. A 250-km green corridor was created, ensuring smooth transportation to Pithampur, a designated industrial area near Indore, where it will undergo incineration.
    • Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves burning solid, liquid, or hazardous materials at high temperatures to destroy contaminants and reduce waste volume.

Background: The Bhopal Gas Tragedy

  1. What Happened in 1984:

    1. The Bhopal Gas Tragedy occurred on December 2-3, 1984, when a toxic gas, methyl isocyanate (MIC), leaked from the Union Carbide pesticide plant.
    2. 5,479 people died immediately, and over 500,000 others were affected by long-term health complications like respiratory disorders, blindness, and neurological damage.

  2. Toxic Waste Storage:

    1. 337 tonnes of waste, containing chemical remnants from the gas leak, have remained at the factory site since 1984.
    2. These chemicals were largely untouched until the recent disposal initiative.

The Disposal Process:

  1. Waste Management Process:

    1. More than 100 trained workers, supervised by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB), were involved in the packing of waste in December 2024.
    2. The waste will be incinerated in a Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility (TSDF) in Pithampur. The incineration is expected to take three to nine months.
      1. Test incineration will first take place to monitor its environmental impact.
      2. If successful, the waste will be burned in larger batches of 270 kg each.
      3. The incineration period will be three months if results are positive; if concerns arise, it could extend to nine months.

  2. Safety Measures:

    1. The government assures that the process will be safe.
    2. The incineration will include a 4-layer filtration system to minimize environmental contamination.
    3. Residual waste will be buried in landfills and sealed with two-layer membranes to avoid further pollution.

Court Orders & Deadlines:

  1. Madhya Pradesh High Court:

    1. On December 3, 2024, the High Court set a four-week deadline for the disposal of the toxic waste, stressing the urgency due to the decades of delay.
    2. The authorities were strongly reprimanded for the slow pace of the cleanup, with the Chief Secretary summoned if the deadline was missed.
    3. A progress affidavit is expected to be submitted on January 3, 2025, with the next hearing on January 6, 2025.

Public Concerns and Protests:

  1. Protests in Local Areas:

    1. Activists and residents in Pithampur and Indore have expressed concerns about the possible environmental risks, including the contamination of water bodies due to the incineration process.

  2. Government's Response:

    1. The government has responded by ensuring that the incineration process will be conducted with safety protocols and environmental monitoring.
    2. The incineration plant will have four-layer filtration systems to minimize air pollution.

Significance of the Waste Disposal:

  1. 40 Years of Inaction:

    1. The long delay in the disposal of the waste has been a source of environmental concern for decades.
    2. This effort marks a critical step towards resolving a key environmental issue left by the tragedy.

  2. Global Attention:

    1. The Bhopal Gas Tragedy remains a symbol of industrial negligence and environmental failure.
    2. The final disposal of the toxic waste will be a step toward addressing its environmental and public health consequences, although the area still faces challenges from the disaster’s lasting impact.

About the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

  1. Formation & Legal Foundation:

    1. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) was established in September 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
    2. Additionally, the CPCB was entrusted with powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
    3. CPCB provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, operating under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

  2. Primary Functions:

    1. Water Pollution Control:
      1. Promotes the cleanliness of water bodies like streams and wells across states by preventing, controlling, and reducing water pollution.
    2. Air Pollution Control:
      1. Aims to improve air quality and prevent air pollution across the country.

Key Areas of Focus:

  1. Air Quality Monitoring:

    1. National Air Monitoring Programme (NAMP):
      1. Established to monitor air quality status and trends.
      2. Helps control and regulate pollution from industries and other sources to meet air quality standards.
      3. Provides critical data for industrial siting and town planning.

    2. ITO Intersection, New Delhi:

      1. The CPCB operates an automatic air monitoring station at ITO, where various air pollutants are monitored, including:
        1. Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM)
        2. Carbon Monoxide (CO)
        3. Ozone (O3)
        4. Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)
        5. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
        6. Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM)
      2. Weekly Updates on air quality data are provided from this station.

  2. Water Quality Monitoring:

    1. Freshwater Management:

      1. Freshwater is a finite resource essential for agriculture, industry, wildlife, fisheries, and human survival.
      2. India is a riverine country with 14 major rivers, 44 medium rivers, and 55 minor rivers. Additionally, lakes, ponds, and wells are crucial sources of drinking water, even without proper treatment.

    2. Challenges:

      1. Monsoon dependency: Most rivers are fed by monsoon rains, which are limited to only three months of the year. These rivers often run dry in the remaining months, carrying wastewater from industries and cities, thereby endangering water quality.

    3. CPCB's Role:

      1. Under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, CPCB’s responsibility includes the collection, analysis, and dissemination of technical data on water pollution.
      2. CPCB plays a crucial role in water quality monitoring (WQM) and surveillance to restore and maintain water body cleanliness.

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